Monday, 30 Sep 2024

Shocking moment teen is shot in the face at point-blank in 'petty' row over queue-jumping in Morrisons

THIS is the shocking moment a teenager is shot in the face at point-blank during a "petty" row over supermarket queue-jumping.

College student Hassan Hussein was blasted with a double barrel shotgun after being pursued down the street by two brothers "hellbent on revenge".


He had allegedly stepped out in front of them while paying for his shopping at a Morrisons in Brierfield, Lancashire.

During the assault, Neil Barnett, 34, pinned Hassan to the ground before his brother Lee, 37, shouted: "Hold on to him."

Lee then stood over the 19-year-old and opened fire at incredibly close range.

The siblings fled the scene, leaving their victim for dead at the roadside.

Hassan suffered horrific facial injuries in the attack, and police said he was "lucky to be alive" after making a miraculous recovery.

At Burnley Crown Court, Lee Barnett was caged for 28 years after admitting attempted murder.

His brother Neil, who pleaded guilty to intent to cause grievous bodily harm, was locked up for seven years and two months.

The near-fatal shooting occurred at around 7pm on March 10 this year.

Neil Barnett accused Hassan and his friends of pushing in front of him in the queue.

He also racially abused one of the group and then said: "I will kill you and your family."

Hassan was followed into a nearby alleyway where a scuffle broke out and Neil made a nine-second call to his brother, who dashed to their scene from their home in nearby Burnley.

Witnesses reported seeing the pair banging an axe on railings close to a community centre as they sought out the teens.

Once they tracked down the group of friends, Neil pulled Hassan to the ground.

In a statement, Hassan said: "This guy came towards me with an axe.

"I grabbed it and hit him, we both went to the floor.

"As I looked up, I saw the other man's hands and then the shotgun – it was like cut-up from the front. It wasn’t massive.

"There was then a loud bang and then a flash went off. My head hit the ground and I remember thinking 's***'. Then I heard ringing."

'COWARDLY ATTACK'

Despite his injuries, Hassan scrambled to his feet and phoned for an ambulance.

Paramedics treated him at the scene before whisking him off to hospital where he spent several days and underwent surgery for the removal of shotgun pellets from his head.

He has been left with pieces of shrapnel in his skull which were too deep to be removed – and he can still feel some of them in his mouth, he said.

The Barnetts were arrested the following day at Burnley Recycling Centre.

Lee Barnett initially claimed he had acted out of a "wholly misplaced and irrational sense of loyalty to his brother".

Neil Barnett said he felt "extremely shameful" about his behaviour.

After the case, Detective Chief Inspector Jane Webb, of Lancashire Police, said: "The level of violence used by Lee and Neil Barnett was shocking, completely disproportionate and could have easily resulted in the death of an innocent young man.

"After being involved in an earlier altercation with a group of males, Neil Barnett recruited his brother in his search for vengeance and they launched a cowardly attack on a man who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"The defendants chose not to answer any questions during their police interviews.

"Thanks to the overwhelming evidence compiled by our dedicated investigation team – very much supported by the local community who willingly provided us with the critical CCTV evidence in this case – the defendants were left with little option but to admit what they had done.'

"I hope these sentences send out the strong message that violence of any kind will not be tolerated."




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